This invention relates to cooking apparatus and methods of cooking.
It is known to cook foodstuffs by grilling them over a heat source, e.g. an open fire provided, for example, by burning charcoal, coal or other pyrogenous material in a barbecue. It is also known to effect such grilling, particularly barbecue grilling, by impaling the foodstuff on skewers that are positioned in a raised horizontal position spaced above the heat source and allowing the heat to embrace the impaled foodstuff. It is often difficult to ensure proper and even cooking of foodstuffs by these methods and it is considered desirable to overcome these and/or other difficulties arising from the apparatus and methods of the prior art.
According to a first aspect of this invention there is provided a method of cooking foodstuff items impaled on skewers characterised in that the skewers are disposed in a generally upright attitude upon or above a heat source and in that the skewers are surrounded by a hollow chamber provided with an open bottom above the heat source and with an open top from which handles of the skewers extend.
Preferably the lower ends of the skewers rest on the heat source.
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided apparatus for use in a method according to said first aspect of the invention, said apparatus comprising a hollow chamber having an open upper end and an open lower end, the lower opening being for disposition in close proximity above (preferably upon) the heat source and having a cross-sectional area greater than that of the upper opening, and further comprising a plurality of skewers having a length commensurate with (preferably greater than) the height of the hollow chamber, i.e. the distance between its upper and lower ends.
The hollow chamber may be of metal or of clay or other suitable ceramic material.
Preferably the wall of the said chamber is of substantially uniform cross-section such that the wall is of substantially constant thickness and its exterior surface facing the ambient environment (i.e. that is to contact the outside air) conforms to its interior surface.
Advantageously the skewers are hollow along at least the majority of their length. This is to enhance heat transfer from the heat source to the foodstuff impaled on each skewer.
For example the chamber may have the following dimensions:
height: in the range 44 to 54 cms, preferably 49 cms;
maximum diameter: in the range 31 to 41 cms, preferably 36 cms;
diameter of top aperture: in the range 10 to 20 cms, preferably 15 cms;
diameter of bottom aperture: in the range 25 to 36 cms, preferably 30 cms;
and the distance from the top aperture to the chamber""s transverse plane containing its maximum diameter being approximately half, preferably slightly less than half, the chamber""s height.
Optionally, the hollow chamber may be provided with one or more external handles whereby the chamber may be lifted onto and/or removed from off the heat source.
Additionally or alternatively a lid may be provided for the open upper end of the hollow chamber. The lid may be multi-apertured, the apertures permitting the extension therethrough of (the) skewers. The apertures may, for example, be of triangular shape. Alternatively, the lid may fully cover the area of the open upper end, the latter being provided with slot-like apertures through which the skewers can extend.
In one example of the invention, a vent may be provided in the wall of the hollow chamber adjacent its open lower end. Advantageously this vent may be adjustable, e.g. being selectively either open or closed (preferably having the size of its opening(s) regulatable).
According to yet another aspect of this invention there is provided apparatus for use in a method according to said first aspect of the invention, said apparatus comprising a hollow chamber having an open upper end and an open lower end, the lower opening being for disposition in close proximity above (preferably upon) a heat source, the cross-sectional area of the chamber being greater at an intermediate height location between the upper end and the lower end such as to provide the chamber with a bulbous form.